Car-coupling.



No. 734,146. 'PATBNTBD JULY 21, 1903.

c. A. TOWER. CAR GOUPLINIJ...A

APPLIOATIN FILED KAY 2, 1903. N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Y CMQ- 7...;

No. 734,146. PATENTED JULY 2l, 1903. G. A. TOWER.

GAR CUUPLING.

APPLIGATION FILED HAY 2 1903.

N0 MODEL. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' Illli @l'fw a mw.

WITNIBSIS UNITED STATES Patented July 21, 190e.

PATENT OFFICE.

CLINTON A. TOWER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO,ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL iMALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 734,146, dated July 21,1903.

Original application led May 29, 1902, Serial No. 109,4:77l Divided andthis application filed May 2, 1903. Serial No. 155,251. (No modell)Cleveland, Cuyahoga county, Ohio, have in' vented a new and -useful Car-Coupler, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan view of two coupler- Ioheads A B, having my improved devices shown in locked position, one ofthe couplerheads being partly in horizontal section for purposes ofillustration. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal section on the line IIIII of Fig. 1, the coupler A being shown with its locking and openingpiece in lock-set position and the other in locked position. Fig. 3 is ahorizontal section of one of my improved couplers having its knucklethrown forward. zo Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section on the line IV IVof Fig. 3, and Fig. 5` is a vertical section showing the locking andopening piece in front view.

My present application is a division of a patent granted to me on May12, 1903, No.

In the drawings, 2 represents the couplerhead, and 3 is the knuckle,Whose tail 3 eX- tends rearwardly from the pivot-pin 4, the 3o frontside of the tail or the end portion thereof being preferablyapproximately parallel with the central line of the vdraw-bar when theknuckle is locked.

The locking and opening-piece 5, in so far as its locking function isconcerned, is in the nature of a pin, which extends on the front side ofthe tail of the knuckle and in locky ing has a bearing against thecoupler-head eX- tended both above and below the knuckle. Its 4o lowerend is shaped to constitute a tongue or toe b, which is inclinedforwardly and adapted to tit in a correspondingly-inclined hole 6 in thefloor of the coupler. Its upper end or head has a forward projection c,or it is otherwise suitably shaped for pivotal attachment to alifting-link 7, and at the rear of thehead is a bearing d, which isadapted to engage a fulcrum 8 at the top of the recess 9 of thecoupler-head, in whichv the piece 5 is set.

`with its toe or guiding portion l) in the hole 6, the projection cfitting in a recess n in the coupler-head and the heel e resting on thefloor of the coupler and keeping the piece 5 tipped forwardly, so thatthe projection c thereof will be maintained in Vthe recess. The piece 5is thus locked and cannot be made to jump or creep upwardly by thejarring of the car. The parts c and n are kept in engagement by the freeforward tipping of the 7c lock on the heele, which rests on the iloor ofthe coupler, the heel being back of the center of gravity of the piece5; but these parts are disengaged readily as soon as the piece islifted.. This is important and constitutes the point of invention whichI claim herein. If it is desired to unlock the knuckle and to swing itopen, the operator lifts the link 7. This causes the piece 5 to rise,and during its first motion the guiding portion or toe b 8o at its lowerend moves it rearwardly until it has passed back of the path of the tailof the knuckle and has left the latter free to swing open and its headhas engaged the fulcrum 8 at the top of the coupler-head. The piece 85 5lis then in .knuckle-throwing position, and continued lifting of thelink 7'will cause it to tip forwardly on the fulcrum 8,whereupon theprojection f will engage the knuckle initially,

and the toe b will then move the knuckle 9o open,as shown in Fig. 4. Theoperator having thus opened the knuckle can allow the piece 5 to dropinto the position shown by dotted linesin Fig.4. Vhen the knuckle isnext swung into closed position, its tail will engage the piece 5 andwill push it back until .stored to the locked position above describedand shown at the coupler B of Figs. 1 and 2.

The skilled mechanic Will be able to modify the parts of my coupler invarious ways, so as to accomplish the results. above statedsubstantially as I accomplish them by the device shown in the drawings.The locking and Openingpieceis easyinallofits motionsand throws thekuckle forwardly to as great extent as desired, and the locking of thelock is performed in a simple and eective manner.

The coupler can be made of light Weight Without sacrificing the strengthrequired in service.

I claiml. A coupler having a knuckle, a lockingpiece, and aretaining-recess for said piece when locked, said piece being supportedback 0f its center of gravity on a forwardly-inclined tongue b, andhaving at the rear thereof a heel which bears on the floor of theconpler, whereon it is tipped by gravity into the recess; substantiallyas described.

2. A coupler having a knuckle, a locking and opening piece, and aretaining-recess for said piece when locked, said piece being supportedback of its center of gravity on a bearing on the Hoor of the coupler,Whereon it is tipped by gravity into the recess; substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CLINTON A. TOWER.

Witnesses:

D. W. CALL, THOMAS W. BAKEWELL.

